Renault Sport reveals Clio R.S. 16 concept in Monaco

Celebrating Renault Sport’s 40th anniversary and return to Formula 1, the the Clio R.S. 16 is powered by the French brands highest-performing engine, shoehorned in to a Clio, and features the colours of the R.S. 16 F1 single-seater.

“Our aim was to produce a concept car with genuinely outstanding performance credentials,” said Patrice Ratti, Managing Director of Renault Sport Cars, leader of the project which particularly inspired the development team’s specialists. “On paper, producing a Clio R.S. powered by our most potent engine – namely the 275-horsepower two-litre power unit which delivers peak torque of 360Nm – was an extremely appealing idea, but we had to make sure it was feasible.”

With a close collaboration between Renault’s motorsport and road cars divisions, the incubation of the highest-performance road-going Renault Sport car ever took just five months.

Finding the ideal way to house the engine, transmission and cooling system of the Mégane R.S. 275 Trophy-R's power unit was a significant challenge according to Renault. The exhaust system was also revised as a function of the engine’s potential, while the suspension was reworked to match the car’s performance characteristics. Engineers also paid ‘careful attention’ to the sound produced by the car - fitting an Akrapovič twin exhaust system.

The design and development team dealt with the constraints inherent in the Clio R.S. 16 project, widening the body by 60mm, and fitting 19-inch wheels, to produce an expressive, sporty stance.